well after battling cooling problems for a while i finally got them fixed by installing a spal fan. But now i drive for about half an hour and the car dies and the battery is completely dead. I have a brand new battery and new alternator in it. I have no idea at all what the problem could be. Any suggestions?

 

have pep boys or someone check that new alternator, make sure its working right. Then check its hooked up properly. Lastly, check your voltage gauge - make sure it goes up with the car running.

 

well i went and bought a decent multimeter and checked the voltage and the alternator wasn't putting out anything at all, i checked the wiring and the power wire from the alternator to the battery was good and all the grounds seem to be good. Then i took off the positive terminal with the car running and it died right away. With the multimeter checking voltage at the battery while the car was running i could watch the voltage drop slowly before i turned on my fans. When i turned them on it dropped about a volt every 30 seconds or so. I think i got a bad alternator from autozone.

 

well advanced auto parts says that the alternator is good, it comes in just under 15 volts, But after i put it back in and was screwing around with it for a while i found a whole new dimension in the problem. I checked the voltage at the battery with the car off and had about 12 volts, then i tried to start the car and it didn't do anything at all and the multimeter read like .22 volts and now it is still saying that. Is it possible that the starter is grounding out or something and causing me to get a reading like that? Im kinda stumped at this point. Somebody help me! please........

 

I hate electrical problems...and that's what i do for a living! When was the last time u had that battery load tested? It could have an internal short.

 

I have the same problem. I just bought an 83 Camaro with a 350, and I just put in a new altenator and battery but still the battery won't hold a charge when I dissconnect the positive terminal the engine cuts out. Does anybody know where to get the answer to this guys question it would really help me out as well

 

i have never had it load tested, i just bought it yesterday. I have a theory that maybe the starter or solenoid is grounding out and causing the battery to drain. Also, when i connect the battery the positive lead sparks quite a bit when it touches the terminal like something is trying to draw current from it constantly. Im going to disconnect the starter power wire and see if it still sparks when i connect the battery like that. Hopefully its just an internal thing in the starter.

 

1. If it puts out 15 volts or close to, the voltage regulator may be shot and you will need to get a new one or fry half of your electronics.
2. Check the water level in the battery. Mine had a similar problem, it read low voltage at the gauge when the engine was running and it died after three days when disconnected.
That's all the help I can give... if someone wants to add something, I'd be grateful.

 

ok, i disconnected the alternator from the battery and started up the car. The output post on the alternator only has about 1/2 a volt on it. I took off the three wire connector to the alternator and it has 12 volts going into it on one of the wires. I havent figured out yet where the other two wires go to. Anyone have any more ideas?

 

The alt, as I've heard, won't have much of a charge at engine idle, if any at all. Try reconnecting the battery to the alt and checking the voltage at different RPM levels. You should read about 13-14VDC at the battery if the alternator is good. Any higher, the voltage regulator is toast and you should get a replacement, any lower, and you still need to get a replacement because it isn't charging at all.